The Games We Play
by Gasoline Diamond
Summary: Ryan, known for the name Cryaotic on Youtube, struggles against the demons of his past. Forced to play past video games as actual scenarios, he embarks on a dangerous journey, and survives hell and back...or does he? He has to face the most terrible of monsters, his childhood terror, and worst of all, he has to face himself, and beast he becomes. contains: Violence, and graphic-nes
1. Back

I awoke. The room was dark, and my skin held goosebumps. Something significant had happened last night, or was it still? It's so dark, why can't I remember anything?

…...

I thought for a minute.

Was I drunk? My head pounded, but not in a way that said I had a hangover….

...ruled out. But where was I? Surely I couldn't be at home, it was so dark and cold here, so unfamiliar, and something deep in my gut was telling me I didn't want to be here. Did I?

God damn, this would be so much easier if I knew where I was.

Something about being here seemed surreal. I couldn't see my hand in front of my face, but yet, the feel of this place….creepy.

I heard footsteps and the sound of crunching. leaves? Was I outside? Is that why it's so cold?

I nursed my headache, cradling it in my hands. God it hurts. Why is that? Did I fall and hit my head? Is that why I'm outside?

I didn't like the feeling that washed over me. I felt vulnerable, I mean, you'd feel that way too, if you passed out in public, completely unaware of who saw you, and what they did or said as a result, right?

Anyway, I'm Ryan, last name unknown to you, and I'd like to keep it that way, thanks.

A noise to my left caused me to jump. Goosebumps formed where others had previously left, when I turned and saw more darkness. I tried to touch whatever it was, to reach out and see what animal it was. It wasn't an animal.

I stood abruptly, my hand still tingling. The feeling of cold scales seemed to have imprinted on my hand. A shiver worked it's way up my spine as I tried to maneuver my way from the scaley thing.

It turns out, I was going in the wrong direction, and ended up stubbing my toe harshly, on the thing…..It was a fucking rock. I laughed nervously to myself at my paranoia. I had nothing to be afraid of, I was only stuck somewhere outside, probably in the woods, and at night, no less. Why would I be scared?

I laughed some more, finally realizing how stupid I was being. I'd be fine as long as I didn't run into a bear or something. I had to be in the woods, judging by the smell of vegetation all around me, and the sound of rustling leaves. I wandered around aimlessly, until I felt something roll under my foot. I stooped down to pick it up, and held it close to my face, trying to decipher what it was. It was cylinder, and had a switch on it's side. I flicked the switch, and light flooded my eyes painfully, not helping my migraine. I gave a surprised grunt, as I shoved the light in a different direction. A flashlight. how lucky.

But I didn't believe in luck, and something about this seemed staged….even, a little deja-vu.

I swung the light around illuminating trees and rocks, but no creatures seemed to be in sight. I sighed, moving hesitantly through the dense forest I had somehow ended up in.

I'd been walking for a while, stumbling through the thick wood, when suddenly, something caught my eye, it was white and rectangular….paper? It was stuck to a large reddish rock that seemed so familiar, my mind strained to remember where I'd seen it.

I slowly crept towards the large boulder, reaching out, and plucking the note from it. And a note it was.

'_NO,_

_NO,_

_NO,_

_NO,_

_NO!'_

I shivered.

_What the hell?_ I thought, my mind pulling memory from back storage in my brain. This note reminded me of a video game I'd played once. It was called slender: The Eight Pages. How strange.

I stuffed the note in my pocket.

I jumped nearly ten feet, when a noise alerted me of someone's presence. Leaves crunched as someone ran towards me. I could hear their breathing, almost like laughter, and the heavy sound of pounding feet. I held my breath. Who's to say I was in danger? But I didn't care, something about the way it all fit together seemed menacing to me. I took off running, my feet padding softly, but crushed leaves and hard grass made my silence pointless.

fuck.

Who was chasing me? _Why?_ I looked back, trying to decipher an image, without shining the flashlight. No luck. But someone was definitely chasing me. I could hear the constant pounding of heavy weight on the ground, and the harsh breathing. It was gaining on me.

Maybe I'm being paranoid.

Maybe someone wants to do me in.

_Why would someone do that?_

It's not like I'm a perfect person. Of course not, but I'm not some awful mob boss either. I'm a youtuber, that's what I do. I've never harmed someone doing it, not physically or mentally. Or at least, I don't think I have. I sit and do commentary on video games. I sit on a computer and talk, faceless, about random internet nonsense, there's no way someone would want to harm me, right?

But, if worst comes first, I'll just have to kick the bastard's ass.

When I'd finally lost him, I stopped to catch my breath. I haven't done anything that physical since high school gym class.

I was about to continue walking, when a soft warm breeze tickled my ear.

"I found you." The voice smiled in my ear. I froze, my whole body stiff. That voice… I know that voice.

No.

It can't be….

He's not….No.

My eyes widened in realization, and I darted forwards, trying to get away from that voice. Not real. He's not real! My head screamed, and my ears buzzed. My thoughts demanded explanation. I searched frantically in the dark. Somewhere along the way, I'd dropped the flashlight.

I found him. I don't know why, but my eyes had finally adjusted in the dark, and i could see him.

I locked my eyes shut, aggravated with myself.

_Wake up, dammit!_

"What's wrong, _Cry_?" He spit my name, mocking me.

No.

"Why did you choose that name?" He laughed, "Is it because you were thinking of me?" I felt sudden anger boil through me, slowly breaking through the shock.

"What the hell?!" I yelled angrily. I'd gotten rid of him, I swear it, he was gone from my mind, so why was he back now? Did something trigger him in my dreams?

_Wake the fuck up!_ But nothing I did tore me from my nightmare. I want to wake up in my bed, I don't want to be here.

"I assure you, that you're conscious, Ryan." I growled at him.

"This has to be a dream, because you're not real." He laughed, a sound that sent my mind reeling with unwanted memories. Damn.

"Oh I'm not, am I? Are you sure about that? I believe your memory says otherwise."

"I had a problem, you're a figment of my imagination, carried out by that problem." He laughed again. The shrill sound really made me sick, sending my stomach into backflips and somersaults. It sounded like metal scraping metal, echoing off a wall. I shivered.

"So you don't believe, even if you see?"

"We both know I don't follow that rule." I'd stayed away from him, but I don't know why I'm still afraid of the bastard, he so small, I could probably step on him, and be done with it. He looked quite similar to a furby, slightly larger in size, but the main design was the same.

"And why is that?" He asked, clearly amused.

"Shut up." I growled, angrily at him. He was really pushing my buttons. He only smirked.

"I can't do that." He said softly. Something about him changed, the atmosphere, the expression in his eyes, the evil grin that adorned his face. I took a step back. Something about him was off, something about him was a different kind of scary.

"You will. I'll take more medication, fucker, and then you'll be gone for good." He frowned, a dangerous anger suddenly shadowing his small features.

"No, I don't think I will take my leave."

"You're not real, and I can get rid of this delusion." I said firmly. It was quiet for a moment, until he broke the silence.

"I want to play a game." The request was sudden, and it got me wondering what he was up to.

"No." His smile broadened.

"You don't have a choice, Ryan." I, probably visibly, shivered. I pushed down the sudden urge to flee, anger surging forward.

"Like hell I don't." I narrowed my eyes. "I refuse to take orders from a fucking hallucination."

"Let's play a video game." Confusion spread quickly and efficiently. _A video game?_ A laugh bubbled up in my chest.

"A video game?" I asked aloud. "You wanna play a video game?" I was incredulous.

"The rules are very simple: You must complete each game as you have in the past. If you die in the game," He laughed, as if death was such an accomplished and joyful feat, "then you die in real life."

"Glad it's a dream then." I smiled with fake enthusiasm, "Now if you excuse me, I'm going to find a way to wake up." I turned, meaning to leave, but my feet would not move. It felt as if thick syrup was holding me to the ground. _The hell? _I pulled, uselessly, at my pants, thighs, knees, feet, but they would not lift.

His breath tickled my ear again.

"I don't think that is going to happen." I shudder, fear coursing, once again, in my veins. I couldn't shake the feeling of childish terror that overtook me every time I thought of….of him.

My knees gave out under me.

The ground came up faster than I anticipated.

Darkness.


	2. Remember

When I came to, the world around me was spinning, and the trees seemed to be trembling, as if afraid.

Afraid…

Something in my brain registered recent fear, and suddenly, I was awake. My body resembled the trees, shaking in the wind.

But I wasn't scared of the wind.

~_Flashback~_

_~Eight~_

_It was a hot summer day. The sun boiled me in my room, and I found myself tired and bored. Being sick really hurt, and it was really annoying._

_I groaned, sinking back into my bed. Mom had just brought me coloring books and comics, but I'd realized soon that all the pages have been colored, and that I know all the stories by heart. I was just about to give up hope of fun, and cry, when Mr. Widemouth came in._

_My body froze and trembled, and I whimpered softly._

_He strode towards my bed, seemingly as if it this was __his_ _room and not mine. He was so confident, so comfortable. It only scared me more. _

_He had made his appearance in my life two months prior, introducing himself as Mr. Widemouth. He at first portrayed himself as this cute and silly creature, quite similar to a furby, actually. He was funny and nice, he always cheered me up, at first. I always awaited his return, eagerly bouncing where I lay. He usually came when Mom and Dad weren't around. They never saw him…. I don't think he wanted them to._

"_They wouldn't let you play with me." He'd say, after hiding from my mom under the bed. _

_After a while, he changed. He was different from how he used to be, not funny, not silly, just serious, almost stern. He demanded we'd play games like "Imagine Jump", where you had to picture a trampoline outside a really high window, if you imagined hard enough, you'd bounce back up. "Like a feather." He said, seemingly taking pride in this game he'd come up with. I was skeptical at first. I didn't think it was such a good idea. what if I didn't have enough imagination?_

_But…._

_That was the month I broke my leg._

_I trusted Mr. Widemouth. He'd promised It'd work. That's when I learned that he wasn't always truthful._

_That's when I learned to be afraid._

_~Ten~_

_School started. It was the first day, and I was nervous. Ever since Mr. Widemouth came into my life, people made fun of me for having an imaginary friend. I never understood that. I could differentiate fantasy from reality by now, and he was __not_ _fantasy. Every time I talked they called me a freak, they laughed at me. They looked around and gestured to the air, asking where he was._

_Why couldn't they see him? It didn't make sense. He was standing there, clear as day, talking, looming over me, sitting on my shoulder, as if I was a prize. _

_He never ceased to terrify me, and I could tell he enjoyed it. He seemed to love intimidating me. Almost as if he owned me. _

_I was his pet._

_~Twelve~_

_He always sat under my bed. I hadn't been able to get sleep lately, as my mind would wander to him. He scared me, immensely. He struck a fear in me that even I didn't understand. Why was he so terrifying? _

_He seemed to grow, not huge, nothing bigger than maybe a large cat, but he grew. I often wondered what he was, exactly. That was another thing I couldn't figure out. What was this strange creature that tormented my years?_

_Why did he target me?_

_~Fourteen~_

_Every time I talked about Mr. Widemouth, -which was often- in the house, my parents would give me this strange look. They seemed worried, like I had a strong fever or something._

_It had been six years since I first met Mr. Widemouth. When he would talk, I would end up crying. The things he said to me, they were brutal, scarring even._

_Often, when I didn't play a game he wanted to play, he would talk to me in an urgent hushed voice._

"_You're worthless, did you know that? You mean nothing, like a piece of shit." That upset me, stung even, but that wasn't the worst of it._

"_I'll kill them. If you don't do what I want, you'll wake up one morning with your sister hanging from the tree beside your window, and your parents stabbed through your wall." His smile was wicked._

_My parents, one morning, after hearing of Mr. Widemouth's temper, finally called a doctor. They'd told me to wait in my room, while they talked to Dr. Tyanger._

_But at fourteen years old, I was no fool._

_I listened intently on the stairs, and overheard bits and pieces of their conversation._

"_...Worried….."_

"_I think…..fine….."_

"_...Normal…"_

"_...Disease….."_

"_...Medication?"_

"_...Name?"_

"…_..Mr. Widemouth." _

_My heart stopped. What did…?_

_It wasn't possible. For six years he'd been there. It didn't make any sense. Surely they weren't talking about what I thought they were? I heard steady breathing above me._

_Shit._

"_They can't get rid of me." He said. He sounded calm, amused, but I could feel the rage rolling off him in waves. "I will stay, you belong to me, and I will not leave." I raced down the stairs, to the living room. This couldn't be happening._

"_Oh, I assume this is him?" Dr. Tyanger said in a kind voice. My parents shot me a look, but let me sit between them._

"_Yes." _

_Pause._

"_Ryan, we have something we need to talk to you about." I tried to calm down, to not hyperventilate. But I was close to tears._

_I'm not crazy._

_I'm not crazy!_

_I'm not-! _

_I've gone insane….haven't I?_

_I nodded slowly._

"_We think you have a disease, we think that because of it you see things." She said softly._

"_You think I have schizophrenia...don't you?" She looked taken aback, but nodded._

"_Honey, this-this 'Mr. Widemouth', he's not real." She was crying too, I noted. Then the doctor piped up, letting us remember he's here._

"_We need to run some tests, and if they run positive, you're going to have to take some medicine, okay?" I nodded slowly, trying to handle all of this at once._

_I'm insane._

_I have a brain disease._

_He's not real…_

_He's not actually real._

"_But...I won't see Him anymore?" He confirmed my suspicions._

"_No, Ryan, you won't see him anymore." _

"_Okay." He wouldn't be there, he wouldn't scare me anymore._

_I was almost relieved._

_Almost…._

_~Sixteen~_

_It's been two years. He's been gone for a long time now, and I couldn't be happier. My social life never picked up, I'm an introvert, but at least he's not here anymore. _

_At fifteen, he was officially gone, without a trace, but they kept me on the medication until no further signs of brain issues were seen. Now I'm drug and disease free._

_I've taken a liking to video games, they aren't just interesting, but fills the void of no one to talk to, so, plus._

He'd been gone for eight years….

But now he's back, and I remember everything.


	3. Slender

I walked aimlessly through the forest, trying, despite myself, to find another note. I'd found the flashlight beside me when I'd woken up. I couldn't help it when my brain wandered, though I wasn't happy about it.

_Was I really stuck in Slender? _

No. It's not possible.

I couldn't be...Could I?

How could I possibly be inside a video game?

Oh wait…

I mentally smacked myself for my stupidity. _This is only a dream, dumbass._

But it didn't mean I had no feelings towards it.

The night was unusually cold, and darker than it should be, with no moon or stars to illuminate my way. I had my flashlight, but anything out of range of the light I could not see. Assorted goosebumps clung to my flesh, my muscles tensing and untensing, my nerves at their peek. Fog swirled around me, and crickets chirped grimly.

I might as well play along and find the notes, right?

So I did.

Coming upon three rows of rusted oil tanks, I found the second note. and hesitantly picked it from the end of one.

'_CAN'T RUN!'_

I shivered. _Fuck you, note, I can if I want to._

I stuffed that in my pocket as well, and went on my way.

As I was walking, quiet sounds erupted around me, almost every four minutes. At first it was as important to me as a bunny rabbit, but then, they were more frequent, undoubtedly _following _me. A crunch of leaves or sticks under feet. Well at first, I thought it was me, walking, but when I stopped, the crackling continued for a bit, before stopping as well. So, then I tried to dismiss it as an animal, interested in the strange new species stomping through it's forest. But when it never lost interest in me, it never left, that's when I knew something was wrong.

That's when I realized.

This forest didn't belong to some fluffy animal, this forest is something's territory. Something dangerous.

_What?_ I asked myself, angry with myself for actually considering the possibility, _Slender?_

But….if it's a dream, it's possible, right?

But the truth was, I was already doubting my judgement. Was this really a dream? It had to be, right? I mean, what other possibility is there?

I tried to push away my thoughts, but I knew the answer to that. _Insanity_. I always had issues with other people, _always_, but the worst enemy I ever had was myself. I always hounded myself, and having a monster in my head for most of my childhood did not help.

So I was insane, _again, _huh?

Shit.

I didn't really enjoy the sound of that, but hey, whatever, I could still tell myself this is a dream. It probably is, anyway.

I was still walking through the forest, searching for notes, when I pulled viciously from my thoughts by the sound of something writhing against itself behind me. I stopped dead in my tracks. It sounded like….like…

Tentacles? For the moment my heart stopped.

_Oh. well…_

I turned, slowly, on the balls of my feet, trepidation settling in my stomach. I faced whatever it was.

It _was_ in fact, Slenderman. My heart pounded in my throat, my stomach dropped, my breath hitched. Black tentacles swirled around each other, long arms set at his, at _it's_ side. I forced my feet to move, pounding with the beat of my heart. The flashlight in which I'd had started to flicker, the light lessening. The path started to get darker as I went, slow but sure progress.

Shit.

I ran, faster and faster, but if I didn't know any better, I'd say I wasn't making progress. _I'm screwed_. I hissed to myself. Pure adrenaline shot through me, as fear ran it's course. That couldn't be what it looked like….I mean…

This ran against everything I'd told myself.

_What drugs had I taken?_

But it was just a dream. A simple nightmare, presented by the unforgiving human mind. And none of this was really happening. It just wasn't possible. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not close-minded, but even this was far fetched. I guess I can't really believe much of anything when it comes to my mind, huh?

I hadn't stopped running when the flashlight finally went out. I didn't think I could, my body wouldn't accept the idea of stopping, so I kept running in the dark. Only when I couldn't feel anything watching me, anything _there_, did I stop to catch my breath. I tried to calm down. My thoughts were everywhere, and jumbled, my head spinning, my situation confusing and angering.

I walked through the thick wood, the darkness a swirling black, the wind swept over me, the cold tearing at my skin, branches sticking out and ripping short tendrils of brunette, and wisps of cloth as I pushed by. The more my body withstanded the branches and harsh wind, the more it felt like my skin was ready to rip, the wind and branches whacking me painfully. But I had to keep walking through, finding notes. I don't even know why. I didn't see the point in it, but yet, I still kept playing along.

I'd found the fifth note by now, only three more to go.

He didn't seem to want to appear again, the tentacled monster, but that didn't help settle my stomach. What did it mean if he didn't appear? Normally you'd think it'd be a good thing, but what if he was planning something, or wanting me to stew?

I found the seventh note. That was when he reappeared. I stuffed the note in my pocket, turning to find another one, when a flick of movement caught my eye. It was hard to make out, black on black, but it was there. Something moved. I jumped back, surprised. _Shit._ I took off running in the other direction, not caring that I was navigating, quite dangerously, in the dark.

I could hear it. It was… was it even running after me? I could hear it's breathing, almost a soft wheezing chuckle, almost in my ear, but no sound of feet movement alerted me. I ran until my legs were shaking, throbbing and threatening to buckle. I stopped, panting. Sweat poured off of me in waves, and my skin was tingling as fire swept just below the surface. Adrenaline rush finally simmered to a calm throb.

I was so tired, how much had I run that night? I teetered a moment, before I settled on my feet. Something caught my attention, once again.

I slowly turned my head to the left.

I breathed a small sigh of relief, when I was met with the pale white of a sheet of paper, and not the faceless monster.

Eight crumpled notes tucked in my pocket.

All of them.

I finished the game.

What now…?

A feeling washed over me, so suddenly I staggered backwards. Complete and utter nausea rolled in the pit of my stomach. My head throbbed. My legs buckled, and I collapsed. I strained to keep my eyes from closing, to no avail.

Complete, and utter disorientation ran through me, until I knew of nothing else, and the world started to leave me.

**Hey guys! I'm back! Sorry, I'm a little late on this one, huh? I apologize immensely (not that anyone cares about this story XD… ;~;) Anywhore! Sorry, I'm having a bit of issues here at home, my little brother Jacob is still getting over a rage fit/flashback, and is having trouble recovering, my sister came back from college, and my sleep schedule is EVERYWHERE so, sorry, again. Also this chapter might be a little confusing, depending on my current mental state, they either turn out better or worse, and sometimes if I work on them in parts they suck, so whoops. But ugh, whatever XD**

**Bye~Bitches~!**

**3**


	4. Amnesia

**Guten Tag! Now, gather around, ladies and gentlemen, for I am screwed, and would like to share why with you! As you know, Halloween is tomorrow….(if I post this in time….*backs away slowly*) And guess what? I don't have a costume! Awesome, right? I thought so… So anyway, as you should have guessed right now, because I forgot to mention it, I don't own Cryaotic (though I would have an interesting time if I did (that was not implying shit, you dirty-ass fools XD)), Mr. Widemouth, or ANY of the video games he plays. So yeah…. Sorry for the late update, but, this is a long one, it might even surpass my first chapter :) Actually I know that this isn't going to be updated in time, in fact, it might be updated three months after I'm writing this….**

**/.\ Don't kill meh! **

**Yep, so, you can go read now. Auf Wiedersehen, ladies and gents!**

I woke up, very similar to the state I was in when I previously awoke in the forest. I was cold, the aftermath of being in the forest, affecting me more than I'd prefer. I was cold, and this place was dark. But it was a different… kind of dark. It seemed to be light in its own dark way.

I realized, when I stood to my full height, that it was because of small, flickering torches lining the hallway, in which I seemed to have settled in. I took a moment to look around, confusion pounding it's anger against my skull in a massive headache. _Damn_. I clutched my head in my hands, groaning.

_It fucking hurts._

I let out a sigh of vexation, several different emotions settling in my chest.

I straightened, again, looking around once more. Small torches hung, alight, on the walls, flickering dangerously against the wood. The floors hid beneath dark red carpeting, seemingly stained with blood. I shivered, trying to expel the image from my mind. I took a cautious step, testing my shaking legs.

_Where am I…? _I felt nauseated, my stomach acids sloshing unpleasantly within me. I shook slightly, as I took a cautious step forward. Slowly, I made my way down the dim-lighted hall, until I came upon my first door.

Wiggling the door knob for the fourth time, I sighed. I was trying to decipher what game I might have been placed in. That is, if my mind is still forcing myself to dream in that way. I continued to walk, but stopped in surprise, when I'd found the tenth door, slightly ajar. I looked into it, trying not to make a sound. My heartbeat picked up, my breathing hitched as I stepped back.

I know where I am.

I know what I am.

_I'm screwed._

I collected myself enough to step back to the door, and I walked in, bypassing the mannequin and the dresser, and carefully picked up the paper. It was an old journal passage, set on years-old yellowed paper. I set it down, not bothering to read it. I didn't have time for that.

Assessing where I was, and how to get out, my brain worked overtime. Given that I was dropped here, with no heads up, and no general idea, I did pretty well. I was in Amnesia, and I had to get out, fast.

If I am correct - which I probably am, with my luck - there are four fuckers who are going to kill me. A grunt, a suitor, a brute, and an invisible son-of-a-bitch in the water.

I took a deep breath.

_This is gonna be fun. _

But what I don't understand is; what epicaricacy could be derived from this? Why did this amuse the bastard? _How?_ He's not even real. If he came from my own mind, why was I putting myself through this? _Damn, just thinking hurts._

I shook my head, momentarily banishing these thoughts to the back of my mind. _It's still only a dream. _I hadn't the need to think about him. I side-stepped out of the door, looking out to the ever-foreboding darkness ahead, searching for any signs of danger. Seeing none, as far as my eyes would strain in the dark, I walked slowly down the hall. Quivering nerves created small shakes throughout my body, but I pressed on, ignoring the deep cold that was set in my bone marrow.

I found another door that seemed willing to open, and stepped inside, escaping from the long narrow hallway to a dark room filled with red. It was a strange substance that seemed to bubble, even in it's stable state. I picked some out with my finger, rubbing it between my thumb.

I let out a surprised yelp, dropping it on the ground, and closely examining my fingers. The skin had been singed, _burned through_. I cursed as blood dripped to the ground.

_Drip_

_Drip_

_Drip_

_Thump_

_Thump_

_Thump…_

The drip had slowly been drowned out by the sound of monstrous feet stomping in my direction. My heart beat faster in my chest, as I waited. The poisonous goo seemed to cover the whole doorway, trapping me between death by monster or death by third degree burns.

_Fuck!_

Impending doom seemed to laugh, as the steps drew closer. I could hear grunts and harsh breathing now. I closed my eyes. I waited. Death seemed to toy with me.

I continued to wait.

Nothing. All noise had ceased, and the beast was either gone, or waiting just as I was. Trepidation settled over the quiet area, my heart thrumming in my ears. I stood there, not daring to move. I stayed there, my feet aching, trying to controll my erratic spurts of breath. It felt like a century, before I actually allowed myself the freedom of moving. I peeked at the doorway, barely getting a glance before I moved back in.

Nothing was there. It was gone…

_Where did…?_

All thoughts in my brain stopped. My breathing stopped.

The breath on the back of my neck was hot and angry. I closed my eyes, didn't move. I just stood there, trying not to think, or I'd go insane.

It was behind me. I was meat set out for it, and it was going to kill me. It seemed to enjoy my hesitation, my fear. I waited for the strike that would finish it. Maybe...just maybe… _I'd wake up._ But still, even in my dreams, would it hurt?

But then, dying in your dreams left you vulnerable in your sleep. Would I still die, then? Have a heart attack to end my pitiful existence? No one would care, anyway. I wouldn't be missed. _Maybe_ Russ and Ken back at home. And… Pewds.

Yes, Felix Kjellburg. My best friend. Of course he would miss me, maybe he'd even cry at my funeral.

I don't want that. But it wouldn't matter anyway, because he would move on, find a new best friend, his youtube channel would grow ever more, and he'd find someone better to co-op with. Find someone that wouldn't drag him down, or be so awkward in his videos. Find someone that wouldn't be madly in love with him.

I took a deep breath, the first in minutes, and moved. I darted forwards, or tried to.

The beast had caught my arm, it's excessively long claws digging deep through the flesh on my bicep. I let out a cry, trying to get loose. The thing was monstrous, it's skin drooping, and a stench coating it's body that seemed to pulse. It's mouth was missing for the most part, hanging, swinging slowly, still dripping blood.

I gagged, trying to push the feeling of vomit in my throat away. Mortal terror clung to me, in ways I'd hoped it wouldn't, and I felt my eyes watering from the stench. Pain rolled from my arm, up to my neck, and down to my feet, my blood steadily dripping to the ground. I couldn't breathe.

_Was this it?_ Death seemed so terrifying, so unrealistic, even now. I could hear the laughter of the souls beneath, waiting for my passing, waiting for me to slip into their reach. I was afraid. Shit, I was more than afraid. The pain radiating through my arm continued to burn, as it's claws dug deeper. I let out another cry, feeling the excessive nails scrape my bone. I squirmed in it's grasp. How was I to escape this? It's claws had dug too deep, I couldn't rip it's fingers out, without ripping off my arm, too.

I inhaled sharply through my mouth, trying hard to fight past the pain. _Fuck, it hurts! _I listened to it's angry growls with abhorrence.

_This really is it._ I was really going to die.

_Well, fuck that!_

In a moment of bravery (really just knee shaking fear of death), I grabbed his limb in my fingers, squeezing. I sought out my target, and launched my reckless plan, against imposing sudden death.

"Not today, bitch!" I'd yelled, pulling the broken tip of a sword from the goo. I gritted my teeth, as my flesh tore, as I pulled away, and started to saw.

The creature let out an inhuman call, before I'd barely cut it's flesh, but still, it's grotesque brown blood mingled with mine, swirling into a tango as it cascaded to the floor. It released me, roughly pulling it's claws from deep within my flesh.

I yelled out, the agony rushing from my arm, to a tingling in my toes, as the beast retreated. I fell, my legs no longer able to hold me, as I clutched my arm.

It was bleeding richly, blood loss already causing an effect. I could have laughed, if it wasn't for the pain. I was gonna fucking die anyway. Are you fucking serious? Blood loss, because that's a _much_ better way to go.

Sweat trickled from my face, and down my back. I was shaking, trying desperately to stop the flow, but god, it hurt just touching it, never mind squeezing the hell out of it. My efforts were useless, anyhow. But no, I wasn't just going to give up, and I'll be damned that moment I do, if not already.

Coarse determination settled over me, as I found my way back to my feet. I weakly tore at my shirt, until I heard the soft rip I was waiting for. I wrapped the ripped material around my upper arm, trying to hurry as much as possible. Tying it with my teeth, as the blood soaked the fabric red, I finally was able to get a move on, groaning and clutching the wrapped appendage as I went.

Red dropped every step I took. I felt exhausted, strange, dragging myself along. _Nothing even happened to your legs, dumbass, why is it so hard to walk? _Damn, blood loss, the shirt wasn't enough to stop the flow. I could feel myself draining.

It wasn't just the pain radiating from my arm though, I was becoming cold, freezing. Was it from blood loss, or was it being shirtless in this place? _Ah, Christ._ I thought, trying desperately to cling to consciousness. What was it I had to do again? Knock over some pillars? Damn, how was I supposed to find those? I barely remember this shit!

I searched for a while, not finding anything, and somehow not running into anything else. Finally, as luck would have it, I found the pillars I needed to knock over. It didn't seem like it was giving me much of the story; I wasn't playing it exactly right, per se, but that's the best way to end the game.

...I think…

Knocking over the pillars would kill Alexander and the monsters, and I would walk away… or limp away… or crawl away.

The portal in front of me glimmered with a bright blue, that was almost blinding. Three pillars stood positioned on three individual sides. The light the room was cast in was burning my eyes, scorching my brain.

I suddenly don't feel so hot- literally, I'm freezing, and I'm having a hard time keeping my eyes open. My arm doesn't hurt _so _much now. Just a terrible throb, is all.

Upon finding the pillars, I just kind of stood there. At the moment, I had no physical strength, it had all leaked out with the blood, so how in the hell was I supposed to knock down these three damn things? How the hell was this supposed to work?

I let go of my arm, swaying slightly as I did so, and took a deep breath, preparing myself.

_Damn, this is gonna hurt._ I took a few steps back, bracing my body for impact.

I ran into one pillar with my good shoulder. It barely shook.

Again.

Again.

One more time.

I let out a small cry, my arm bleeding out worse than it had been, almost all of my blood leaving me at once. Resignation washed over me and I nearly fell, giving up, as I felt my body tremble with blood loss. This was it? _No, it couldn't be._ There was no possible way out of this. My vision faded slowly, as if everything was slowing down. I was going down, and before I knew it, my head smashed into the ground. The force wasn't enough to cause immense damage, but I felt a fire roar in my jostled brain.

I tried to groan, but the sounds wouldn't escape my lungs. I wheezed hard, trying in vain to suck in air. I was having a hard time to breathe, it was getting more difficult by the minute, and soon, I wouldn't be breathing at all. The sickness in my gut was overwhelming, and the cold around me was consuming. I felt like a hammer was smashing into my stomach, and there was nothing I could do.

_Nothing I can do…_

_Was there really nothing?_

Despite my knowledge, of this, oh so plainly, being a lucid dream, I still could not fathom the enthusiasm I should have. I was going to wake up, I _knew_, I understood the fact that I was going to be okay. But still, I felt terrible cold fear pushing through the static of my muddled thoughts, like a salmon swimming up a stream.

Damn, this was getting difficult. I could barely think, all my blood completely drained.

Even so, somehow, I refused my body's plea to give up. And with shaking legs, I stood. I rammed myself into the beams, ignoring the spikes of pain reverberating through me. I did it over and over again, sweating, and cursing, and trembling, and panting. Finally, though, all of my efforts were paid in full, when the first pillar went down.

I could only imagine how pale I was, and I didn't even have to envision how cold I was, my body tingled, numb in the parts that weren't helpful. I swayed, unpleasantly, and my stomach churned, but a small victory made it's way from my lips. I allowed the feeling of accomplishment to inundate me for a moment, before shaking myself out of it. No time to celebrate now, it wasn't done yet.

I gave myself three seconds worth of rest, before going for the next beam.

And finally, when both were knocked down, I swayed, and I fell. I had tears streaming down my face from pain and exertion. My brain swam in concussion, and my body swam in my own blood. I let the darkness carry me away, hoping I would wake up in bed this time.


End file.
